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My oil pressure sensor in my 2002 convertible with 47,500 miles bit the dust a few days ago. The oil pressure gauge in the instrument cluster is pegged at 80 psi. I assume it is ok to drive until I can get the oil pressure sensor replaced. 90% of vehicles don’t have an oil pressure gauge in the instrument cluster. Am I correct? My Corvette runs perfectly after my oil pressure sensor died.
My oil pressure sensor in my 2002 convertible with 47,500 miles bit the dust a few days ago. The oil pressure gauge in the instrument cluster is pegged at 80 psi. I assume it is ok to drive until I can get the oil pressure sensor replaced. 90% of vehicles don’t have an oil pressure gauge in the instrument cluster. Am I correct? My Corvette runs perfectly after my oil pressure sensor died.
90% may not have a gauge, but 100% have some sort of low/no oil pressure warning or light. With your sender pegged@80lbs, until it is changed, you will have no low/no oil pressure warning. As easy as this is to change, I'd fix it ASAP.......
You can use the oil pressure reading on the DIC. Scroll through the options and there is an Oil Pressure display.
The oil pressure reading in the DIC is 130, which is normal when the oil pressure sensor fails. Of course that is no help to determine actual oil pressure.
When you do replace the sensor take the time to relocate it, when, not if, it goes bad again it is much easier to replace. There are kits available or make your own as I and others have done. If you're not married to the plastic engine covers you can also include a mechanical gauge under the hood to always know the pressure right at the source. There are others who have a gauge with the covers still in place as well. I am not a fan of the covers, here is mine with the mechanical gauge.
Because the engine guys don't talk to the product guys. They are conceiving an engine that will go in multiple platforms even though it was introduced in the C5. The position of the sender unit in a truck is easy to reach, they sell easily 10 trucks for every one Vette. I remember being told by a manager at Chrysler, "We are not in the business of making cars and trucks, we are in the business of making money. We just so happen to do that selling cars and trucks". GM is no different, the bean counter ALWAYS has the final say, this I have witnessed personally.
Hyper is spot on. We owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the small group of dedicated engineers and skilled craftsmen who worked off the clock (aka-free) to push the C5 forward. If not for them, the last Corvette would've been the C4........
Check for a leak. Some failures are also joined via a leak. They are generally slow but can happen.
^ This is the biggest concern associated with a pressure sensor failure. These failures are often accompanied by an oil leak! Be sure to monitor your oil level until you get this problem addressed!!!
EDIT:
From a convenience standpoint, another concern is a scenario where the oil pressure sensor fails low. In this situation, the PCM may default to a fail safe mode, which will make driving the care very challenging! This is why many folks recommend an oil pressure sensor relocation kit for the sensor. In the event that you find yourself stranded on the side of the road with "low oil pressure" due to a failed sensor, you can easily replace the sensor, rather than having the car towed.
Because the engine guys don't talk to the product guys. They are conceiving an engine that will go in multiple platforms even though it was introduced in the C5. The position of the sender unit in a truck is easy to reach, they sell easily 10 trucks for every one Vette. I remember being told by a manager at Chrysler, "We are not in the business of making cars and trucks, we are in the business of making money. We just so happen to do that selling cars and trucks". GM is no different, the bean counter ALWAYS has the final say, this I have witnessed personally.
GM, as well as other vehicle manufacturers, are vehicle sales companies. Period. They are typically managed at most levels by people with vehicle sales backgrounds. Parts and service (and by extension serviceability of their products) are typically an afterthought at best. Parts, service and warranties are considered sales tools. They wouldn't be involved with any of these distractions, if they did not help them to sell cars and/or comply with government regulations.
Most of the executives at these manufacturers and especially the sales and marketing folks, go out of their way to avoid parts and service issues until and unless they negatively impact car sales. It is, indeed, a very strange dynamic to observe.
Bob Lutz in his book Car Guys vs Bean Counters is a must read to really understand the cost dynamic at GM. It was really bad and Bob started a culture change that is still evolving under Mary.
Bob says if left to the car guys they would build the best cars in the world but the company would go bankrupt as it would not make a profit. The bean counters protect them. But the Car Guys push the bean counters to accept increases in cost where it is beneficial.
Bob had a designer show a car that had chrome surrounds on the windows. The designer said he would have to leave them off as it would kill the budget. Bob asked if the car would sell better with them the designer said yes. Then Bob noted that if it sells better we make more money and you are safe on the budget vs selling the car with out them and selling less car and not making all the money they could on the line.
Some of the things were nuts at GM. Lutz asked why GM could not make as good panel gaps as the Elantra. The Metal shop man said they could do it but never were told to do so. Lutz was told they could not make the changes unless they were directed. by management. Well Lutz told him to do it and never ask just do it. Well several weeks later and only a couple hundred thousand in tooling they corrected the 08 Malibu door and panel gaps to class leading.
This is the kind of culture that was in place and what has been addressed. They are not done but they have made a major change in how many things are done.
Often the same parts were sold under 6 different part numbers and GM did not know it. The Bean Counters found this and now they pay less for the same parts.
Large companies are difficult to manage and GM really got out of hand. It takes time to right a ship this big.
Now if they were Ferrari selling a limited number of cars per year and they could name their price then these things matter little. Yet Ferrari uses thin leather they claim for weight that fails in just a few years. My friend has a F40 that he had to have the seats redone even with low miles. He made Carbon covers for the bolsters to prevent the wear. He said it was thin cheap leather.
If I have to remove the upper intake manifold to change the oil pressure sensor, I should replace the intake manifold gaskets. Correct? They are 22 years old. Should I buy the OEM replacements (AC Delco) or is Fel Pro acceptable? Does anyone have the part number I need?
If I have to remove the upper intake manifold to change the oil pressure sensor, I should replace the intake manifold gaskets. Correct? They are 22 years old. Should I buy the OEM replacements (AC Delco) or is Fel Pro acceptable? Does anyone have the part number I need?
Definitely change the gaskets, GM should be more than fine, they lasted this long!
If I have to remove the upper intake manifold to change the oil pressure sensor, I should replace the intake manifold gaskets. Correct? They are 22 years old. Should I buy the OEM replacements (AC Delco) or is Fel Pro acceptable? Does anyone have the part number I need?
Remember they are rubber o rings vs an old style gasket.
Might consider replacing the two knock sensors while the intake is off too.
Oil Pressure Sensor Died
